Modern Office Design Trends, Ideas & Examples

Create defined spaces

Creating defined spaces allows employees to work in an area best suited for them. Some may prefer private, quiet areas, while other employees may prefer a more collaborative atmosphere. Here are just a few ideas to create defined work areas.

• Lounge areas: Think past the concept of the break room or kitchen. Consider a space that feels more like a casual café or chic living room where employees can gather for lunch or a snack, or to chat and have a few moments of downtime. You never know, your company’s next great idea might happen in the lounge!
• Quiet areas: Old-school cubicles and closed door offices for heads-down work may suit your organization and the work you do. Consider trying a more library-like space with a mix of long tables and carrel desks, plus high-quality acoustic management that better supports your team’s quiet time.
• Private phone areas: Give employees privacy for client or personal calls. This also helps reduce distractions for other employees, especially in a quiet space.
  Meeting/brainstorming areas: Conversation clusters with cozy chairs, diner-style booths and architectural nooks can all be places for impromptu meetings and ad hoc brainstorming sessions. For more formal meetings, you’ll need a traditional conference room.

The R&R Realty Group has clearly defined areas for collaboration, private work spaces, lounging and meeting/brainstorming areas.

Utilize technology to make work simpler

• LED video walls and displays: Provide your team with useful information like company calendars, conference room availability, news and updates. Video walls can also contribute to modern office design by displaying art, animation and pops of brand-centric color. In a lounge setting, a large-format LED display can even show movies or TV shows, which is great for team bonding.
• Power and connectivity: Modern office workers rely heavily on portable technology. Make sure conference rooms, common spaces, lounges and heads-down spaces are equipped with outlets, USB and ethernet ports, and conference phones to keep workers connected, powered up and stress-free.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals installed a large LED screen in their lobby to convey important information to visitors.

Create an open floor plan
Open floor plans don’t necessarily mean cold, cavernous spaces. As an element of modern office interior design, open floor plans feel less stuffy and constraining than a maze of cubicles.

By defining spaces that flow into an open floor plan, you can have the best of both worlds. Think outside the cubicle when it comes to partitions and other defining characteristics. Acoustic products, architectural accents and strategic furniture placement can all lend themselves to creating a unique open floor plan.

• Communal workspaces: An open floor plan encourages collaboration. You can help foster and support this with comfortable furniture, long family-style tables and semi-private breakout spaces.
• Positive workplace culture: Open floor plans allow teams to see one another and know who’s around. That sense of community is important for successful collaboration and a positive workplace culture. Be sure to balance any potential goldfish effect with options for private and semi-private work and conversation like smart glass, clings and creative partitioning.
• Encourage flexibility: Modern office interiors often feature furniture that can be easily rearranged to suit your team’s needs as they change throughout the day.

Fluid workstations are a great way to encourage collaboration, shake up perspective and share resources, especially if your team is hybrid — but they come with special considerations.

• Support your workforce’s health and safety with signage and software that helps them coordinate cleaning and avoid doubling up on a space.

Ouster’s office has an open floor plan with workstations and collaboration areas. On the second floor, the furniture is easily movable for different needs.

Wellness options for the modern workforce
Consider alternatives to traditional chairs. Standing desks, treadmill desks, balance balls and stools give your employees choices that support their health and wellness. Many modern offices have an exercise room that offers accessible options for stretching and keeping a working body strong and relaxed. Don’t worry about building a whole gym if you don’t have the space; portable yoga mats, free weights, treadmills and stationary bikes offer variety.

Modern offices are also providing healthy snacks and hydration options in the break room, kitchen or lounge. Think a fridge stocked with yogurts, fruit and flavored carbonated water. These can be enjoyed in a space designed for recharging, like a quiet room or a social room with a ping-pong table, pool table or cornhole boards.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has provided all Apple employees with standing desks.

Biophilic design options for a soothing modern office interior
Incorporating natural elements in an office is a great and modern way to boost mood and lower stress.

• Natural light feels less sterile than manufactured light and can provide a calming setting.
• Wood paneling or stone elements are aesthetically pleasing and can soften an industrial space, making it more welcoming for your employees.
• Live plants improve air quality while complementing natural materials.
• Fountains, ponds or waterfalls provide tranquility and the soothing sound of water. Combining water with natural stone or wood and introducing plants (or even fish) can set your spaces apart from a typical workplace environment.
• Bring the outdoors inside – especially if your office doesn’t have a great view out the window. Provide views of nature in the form of paintings, photographs or digital displays to give employees a dose of the world outside of the office.

This workspace has multiple biophilic design items to create a natural, calming oasis area.

Industrial design trends in modern office interior design
Embrace industrial spaces by working with them, instead of covering up their pre-existing elements. Balance your industrial elements with biophilic elements and color to keep them human-friendly. Industrial design accents include:

• Exposed ceiling air ducts, pipes and beams
• High ceilings and open spaces
• Exposed brick walls
• Oversized windows
• Natural wood instead of treated wood
• Concrete floors instead of wood or carpeted floors
• Overhanging light fixtures with exposed light bulbs

Capital One Labs – San Francisco has exposed ceiling air ducts and beams and concrete floors.

Other common office interior design trends

• Color blocking: Fresh, simple and impactful, color blocking is a quick and easy way to bring new life to a tired space and ties your brand and/or aesthetic to your space
• Themed office spaces: We love the local or regional theme! Name your conference rooms after local landmarks and tie them to those spots with color and design elements.
• Welcoming reception areas: If you have a space where visitors wait, help them to wait in comfort and style.
• Glass conference rooms: These work well with open and fluid concept work spaces, and can be adapted for privacy using acoustic screens, window clings and smart glass.
• Niche refreshments: A keg or espresso machine in the kitchen area, nostalgic candy, upscale concepts like juice bars or specialty caterers are all ways to offer employees something special that reflects your company’s values.

Many modern offices are in the comfort of one’s own home. As remote and hybrid workforces become more common, a home workspace is a must. Here are some tips to maximize productivity:

• Have a designated working area stocked with everything you need to work, including power and connectivity outlets.
• Invest in a desk. It’s tempting to work from the couch, but it can be hard to feel professional on the sofa.
• Take breaks like you would in the office for water, coffee, stretching and reaching out to friends and colleagues. Schedule “coffee chats” or social lunches over video chat to keep in touch.
• Separate work and non-work times. Make sure your family knows when you are and aren’t available.
• Create a professional background for video conferences and meetings. Use a partition/divider, built-in backgrounds or blur to avoid distraction.

A home work area with a designated desk and plenty of natural light.

This modern home office space has plenty of privacy, ample outlets and a professional background for video calls.

Google HQ
The mix of conference rooms and open plan workspaces with a strong local theme, bright colors and focus on wellness is a great example of modern office design.

Hubspot
Hubspot is a leader in business communication. It’s no surprise their modern office interior leads the way as well with designated and fluid working areas, collaboration spaces, “living room” and fitness areas.

Federal Center South Building 1202
This modern office interior features lots of natural light, green and sustainable materials, natural elements and examples of biophilic design in its mix of open and designated work spaces.

Looking for more examples? Check out HubSpot’s list here.

Today’s best talent is looking for more than a paycheck and a top-shelf benefits suite. An employee-friendly workplace that reflects modern work values will help your business attract and retain your industry’s brightest stars. Many employees spend long hours at the office. Creating a welcoming space shows your company’s commitment to their most important assets: their people.

Let your employees in on the planning. They’re your best resource for what will make them feel happy and productive. When you’re ready to make those ideas a reality, reach out to DGI. Our team of dedicated professionals is here to craft a unified design for your organization.